A novel method for the characterization and qualification of Hall effect thruster propellant distributors is presented. A quantitative measurement of the azimuthal number density uniformity, a metric which impacts propellant utilization, is obtained from photographs of a premixed flame anchored on the exit plane of the propellant distributor. The technique is demonstrated for three propellant d...

In this study, a novel technique for evaluating continuously burning rate of cylindrical cores made of a solid homogeneous propellant is presented. The propellant core was placed in the tube made of pyrolytic graphite (pyrographite). The burning rate of the rocket propellant has been determined by monitoring the burning front/zone movement on the external surface of the pyrographite tube by usi...

Currently many aerospace vehicle systems require lightweight, high performance pressurized tank for storage of propellant, nitrogen, oxygen, or other medium. Aircrafts have several needs for high-pressure stored gas, like aircraft escape slide inflation systems, emergency oxygen supply, landing gear actuator, engine pressurized air start system and on-board inert gas generating system nitrogen ...

The safety of solid rocket engine use seriously affects the survivability and combat effectiveness weaponries. To study against fragment in complex battlefield environments, impact simulation a high-energy four-component HTPB propellant (hereafter referred to as engine) was conducted. equation state parameters reaction rate detonation product were calibrated by using 50 mm diameter cylinder tes...

1. Pulsed Plasma Thruster Pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs) are expected to be used as a thruster for a small satellite. The PPT has some features superior to other kinds of electric propulsion. It has no sealing part, simple structure and high reliability, which are benefits of using a solid propellant, mainly Teflon (poly-tetrafluoroethylene: PTFE). However, performances of PPTs are generally lo...

Busek Co. Inc. completed delivery of flight-qualified colloid thrusters for NASA’s ST7 mission in May 2008. This effort has led to development of variants of the technology suitable for small satellite applications. Colloid thrusters operate by electrostatically accelerating charged droplets of an electrically conductive ionic liquid, and are capable of providing a high degree of throttling and...

Ammonia dinitramide (ADN)-based liquid monopropellants are considered to be environmentally friendly alternatives the toxic and carcinogenic hydrazine-based propellants. Hence, Space Solutions Co., Ltd. is developing a 1N ADN-based monopropellant thruster by conducting combustion performance in different types of reactors. Various parameters, such as preheating temperature size thermal catalyst...

A study was conducted to measure the variation in propellant properties for three consecutive batches of an identical formulation. A secondary study was performed to assess the effect of casting vacuum on propellant density, hardness, mechanical properties and burn rate. Only small differences in properties between batches were evident and most were assessed as being within the uncertainty of t...

The Army is developing hypergolic, liquid and gelled bipropellants for a small, selectable-thrust, liquid rocket engine (LRE) that can power tactical missiles for both current and future combat systems. The use of gel propellants brings the advantages of selectable thrust and the promise of small engine size but also introduces new challenges in combustion control. One of these challenges is th...

there are several sources for pressure oscillations in solid propellant rocket motors. oscillatory flow field is one of them. free shear layers in motor flow field cause vortex shedding. end edges of propellant grains and baffle edge in two-segmented motors are samples of such zones. these vortices move from their forming points and strike the field walls. the kinetic energy of vortices change ...